Carpet fabric and method of making the same



July 24, 1962 P. AMMERALL CARPET FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1956 1% Peder July 24, 1962 P. AMMERALL 1 CARPET FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 2, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 12 1 A wnrw/sz v/ Man a? W4 J J I In welder I259, flzzamrzl July 24, 1962 P. AMMERALL CARPET FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 2, 1956 SHUTTLE P/m/ 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 5/707? PAT/l Fe; Jkmwzfor er flm mere/l yy zgvw wzw/ Filed Aug. 2, 1956, Ser. No. 601,693 7 Claims. (Cl. 139-403) tes ate This invention pertains to textiles and more especially to a woven fabric of the type known as velvet which is commonly employed as carpeting and has for its principal objects to provide an ornamental sculptured carpet fabric by employing pile tufts or loops of different type, twist or color.

As herein illustrated, the carpet fabric comprises a ground layer of upper and lower sets of weft yarns and interwoven warp yarns, and a top layer of pile-forming warns arranged warpwise of the fabric between the sets of weft yarns, with pile-forming loops projecting upwardly between the weft yarns in the top layer, the loops in certain regularly occurring pile-forming yarns being arranged in regularly recurrent groups, each consisting of a single high and a single low node, while the loops in certain other regularly occurring pile-forming yarns are arranged in recurrent groups, each consisting of a pair of high nodes followed by a pair of low nodes. The high and low nodes, respectively (in each group, which consists of a high node followed by a single low node), are arranged in alignment (weftwise) with a high node and a low node of a group wherein a pair of high nodes alternate with a pair of low nodes. The pile-forming yarns occur in sets of three.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a section taken transversely of the fabric, that is, parallel to the weft threads;

FIG. 2 is a section taken longitudinally of the fabric, that is, parallel to the warp threads on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a, section taken longitudinally of the fabric, that is, parallel to the warp threads on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a photornicrograph in plan view of a fragmentary portion of the fabric with the warp threads running bottom to top and the weft threads running from side to side;

FIG. 5 is a photograph in plan view to scale of a portion of the fabric with the warp threads running from bottom to top and the weft threads running from side to side;

FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic illustrations of the shed formations and the heddle-operating cams there for, for making the high pile; and

FIGS. 10, 11, 12 and 13 are corresponding diagrams for making the low pile. 7

Referring to the drawings, the fabric illustrated herein is of the velvet type consisting of warp and weft threads of different twist and/or color, woven to produce a surface pattern, such as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, which, in relief, has high, intermediate and low surfaces.

As herein illustrated, the carpet fabric comprises a ground layer of upper and lower sets of weft yarns 30, 32, and interwoven warp yarns 34, 36 and a top layer of pile-forming warp yarns 26, 28, extending warpwise' of the fabric between the sets of weft yarns 30, 32 with pileforming loops or modes projecting upwardly between the weft yarns in the top layer. Certain of the pile-forming yarns comprise regularly recurring, like groups of loops, each such group consisting of four nodes, of which the first and third are high and the second and fourth are low, while other pile-forming yarns comprise regularly recurice ring, like groups of loops, each such group consisting of two high nodes followed by two low nodes. The pileformingyarns of these two types are so arranged in the fabric that the high and low nodes of a group, in which the high and low nodes alternate, are disposed weftwise of the fabric, in alignment with a high and a low node, respectively, of a group which consists of a plurality of two high nodes followed by two low nodes. The pileforming yarns occur in sets of three. Stufier warp: yarns 38 are disposed in sets of three between each pair of adjacent warp yarns 34, 36 beneath the pile-forming yarns 26, 28.

The warp threads, of which the fabric is comprised, are arranged in groups of opposing heddles and, by sequence or cycle of loom motion and with Varied height of pile wires, as will now be described, produce a novel textured pile fabric as described and shown.

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 13 inclusive, the pile forming warp threads are denoted in their shed formation by the numbers 1 and 6. The stuifer warp threads by the numbers 2 and 3 and the chain Warp theads by the numbers 4 and 5. The heddle frames through which these threads are guided are operated to form sheds through which high and low wires may be shot to produce the pile loops wanted and through which the shuttle may be shot carrying the weft for fabric formation. Starting with FIG. 6 as step 1, in the operation it will be seen that the cams which are correlated with the warp threads by corresponding number and which are fast to a common shaft are in a position to form a shed in which the pile warp threads 1 and 6, the stuifer warp threads 2 and 3 and alternate ones of the chain warp threads 5 are above the path of the shuttle and the remaining or intermediate chain warp threads 4 are below the path of the shuttle. A part of the pile warp threads, those designated 1, above the path of the shuttle are raised with respect to the remaining threads 6 to permit a loop forming wire to be shot through to hold them-aloft until the weft is shot through and beat up. In step 2, as shown in FIG. 7, the cams have turned through a quarter revolution clockwise to reform the shed so that now the pile warp threads 1 and 6, the stuffer warp threads 2 and 3 and the chain warp threads 4 lie below the path of the shuttle and the chain warp threads 5 lie above the path of the shuttle. At this time the shuttle travels back across the shed laying in the weft and the wire is withdrawn. Step 3, as shown in FIG. 8, is effected by another quarter A) turn of the cams which reforms the shed so that pile warp threads 1 and 6, stuffer warp threads 2 and 3 and chain warp threads 4 are now at the top of the shed and chain warp threads 5 are below the path of the shuttle. In this position the shuttle passes through the shed carrying the weft across at the same time the wire is shot across beheath the pile warp threads 1 which are held elevated from the remaining threads 6 to permit the wire to pass beneath them. Step 4, as illustrated in FIG. 9, is affected by the next quarter A1) turn of the camand in this position pile warp threads 1 and 6, stuffer warp threads 2 and 3 and chain warp threads 5 are lowered so as to be beneath the path of the shuttle while chain warp threads 4 are above the path of the shuttle. During the shuttle crossing the wire is withdrawn. The foregoing four steps are carried out with a pile forming wire of predetermined height, namely .290" to provide the high pile or tufts in the fabric. The low pile or tufts are woven in, in exactly the same succession of steps as illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 13 inclusive, wherein the cams are the same and the warp threads diagrammatically shown in shed formation are correspondingly identified. The only difference is that the pile forming wire shot through in this succession of steps is of lower height, namely .154. A redescrip tion of the successive steps as shown in FfGS. 10 to 13 Patented July 24, 1962 inclusive, is not deemed necessary since they correspond exactly to those previously described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9 inclusive.

While pile wire heights of .290 and .54" respectively, are herein referred to as the high wire and low wire operations it is to be understood that these are not in any sense to be limiting but that different heights may be substituted therefor without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The yarns or threads used in the formation of the pile may be of the same character; however, as herein shown some of the pile warps are of soft twist, others of hard twist, some of one color and some of another color. Considerable variation in the make-up of the pattern may be had by varying the twists and colors for the yarns without departing in any respect from the weaving of the yarn as related.

The weaving operation results in the formation of the pile loops, and it is within the scope of the invention to leave the loops intact or to cut or clip them. Accordingly as herein described, the word tuft has been employed to mean either a loop or the cut ends of the loop. It is also intended that different multiples of warp threads may be Warpwise of the fabric between the upper and lower sets of weft yarns with pile-forming loops projecting upwardly from the weft yarns in the upper set, characterized in that certain of the pile form'ing yarns comprise regularly recurring like groups of loops, each such group consisting of four nodes, of which the first and third are high and the second and fourth are low, while other pile-forming yarns comprise regularly recurring like groups of loops,

each such group consisting of two high nodes followed by two low nodes, said certain of the pile-forming yarns being arranged in groups alternating with groups of said other pile-forming yarns.

2. A woven fabric according to claim 1, wherein the yarns having the alternate high and low nodes are of different twist than the yarns having the alternate pairs of high and low nodes.

3. A woven fabric according to claim 1, wherein the ground layer, the nodes of the lower loops and the nodes of the high loops are disposed in vertically spaced, parallel planes.

4. A carpet fabric according to claim 1 wherein there are stufiing warp yarns disposed between the sets of Weft yarns beneath the pile-forming yarns.

5. A carpet fabric according to claim 1 wherein the warp yarns occur in spaced pairs and the stuffing warp yarns occur in threes between each pair of warp yarns.

6. A carpet fabric according to claim 1 wherein the pile-forming yarns occur in groups of three.

7. Woven fabric according to claim 1, wherein the pile-forming warp yarns are so disposed in the fabric that the high and low pile loops of a group, which consist of a single high loop followed by a single low loop, are arranged to register, Weftwise, with a group wherein a plurality of high loops alternate with a plurality of low loops.

References fited in the file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS Hoeselbarth Sept. 22, 

